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Limp or Sprained Tail????

Hi there,

I have a 3.5 year old black lab. The last two times I had him out working in the water, he came back with a limp tail. It sorta went limp the night of the workout both times. I am reading on the internet about dogs possibly being over-exserted or over worked if they are a little out of shape, and then getting this limp looking tail that will not wag. Almost as if they sprained their hind end or but area.

Anyone out there experience this? It seems to go away in a day or two, but is it just a matter of him getting in better shape, or is there something else going on?

Get a script of Rimadyl from your vet. If you find that they are susceptible to cold tail, give them one when they go to bed after a hard workout. It'll help them sleep and keep any inflammation from happening. It should keep the cold tail from starting...worse case limit the effects.

We see this quite a bit in the spring with dogs that swim in Lake Superior. As it still has icebergs floating around you can assume it is cold. These guys tend to be sore so let the tail come back on its own with out much manipulation on your part so leave it alone. Some non steroidals(rimadyl, aspirin, etc.) are helpful for the discomfort but that tail comes back around in about 3 days. It can also happen with a dog in a rainstorm, swimming in a river or having too many celebratory beers poured on him after winning an event...